Vitola: Imagine (Robusto)- 5.5” x 50 ring gauge
- ~$9.50
- Samples obtained from local rep
Background
I’ve made no secret of the fact that I really love the JFR Lunatic Torch series from Aganorsa Leaf Cigars. I gave the original release, a shaggy foot Churchill, a 9.5/10 rating, then gave the follow-up Toro release a 9/10…something got a little lost in the translation to even a slightly larger ring gauge, in my opinion. I’ve been hoping for a long time that they would re-release that original Churchill size, but it just hasn’t come about…but they did decide to do a Robusto version this year…and that could be just about as good!
To review, the JFR Lunatic Torch series uses 100% Nicaraguan tobacco grown by Aganorsa Leaf. It has a Corojo 99 wrapper, dual binder leaves from Jalapa and Esteli, and Nicaraguan fillers. There are 3 other sizes at the moment, a Toro (Visionaries), a Gordo (Dreamlands), and a stubby 70 ring gauge beast (Mad Folk).
These are shipping, but I got a few early samples from my local Aganorsa Leaf rep. I smoked about 3 before this review sample.
Prelight
Whatever I said about the band and box in 2020 applies now…the packaging has now become familiar and blends in well with the other JFR branded releases, while also having its own identity. I still like the Aganorsa Leaf “strong arm” logo…”Our Leaf Is Our Strength.”
It could just be me, but it feels like these wrappers are getting darker over time…or it could just be that this batch of Corojo leaf is darker. Either way, the medium brown with a reddish tint of the cigar I reviews a couple years ago gives way to a rich dark chocolate brown this time around. It was smooth and oily to the touch and gave up notes of earth and wood. The foot had richer earthiness, hay, dark chocolate, and coffee bean notes.
After clipping, the cold draw was slightly tight, but had a really nice flavor profile of hay, cedar, buttered popcorn, and pepper spice.
Flavor
Actually lit, the draw was better than I had expected and I got plenty of smoke. The shaggy foot started off with bright wood and hay flavors, along with just a touch of citrus sweetness. As the wrapper started to burn, too, there was a touch of popcorn added to the mix, along with earth and cocoa powder notes. The retrohale was woody and very peppery.
As I got into the second third, I got notes of charred wood, earth, and espresso bean. The sweeter notes had pretty much gone away, but there was still plenty of pepper in the mix, both on the palate and nose.
In the last third of the Lunatic Torch Imagine I got more popcorn and the charred wood gave way to a more traditional cedar note again. There was a resurgence of sweetness in the mix in the form of dark chocolate, along with a steady pepper spice influence.
Construction
Despite this sample being slightly tight, it still had a good-enough draw, along with a straight burn line, and solid ash.
Value
Very good cigar for a good price…excellent value!
Conclusions
While the ring gauge is the same, the Imagine just didn’t quite measure up to the original Lunatic Torch release, which was a little disappointing. Maybe it comes down to crop years, but I had hope that wasn’t fulfilled. But I will say that this expression of the JFR Lunatic Torch was better than any of the other currently available sizes and that’s a definite win. (For the record, the score is the same as the toro version, but this was slightly better, in my opinion.)
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10
